Back in 1987, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Bell refused to talk to the beat writers who surrounded his locker after the game because Suzyn Waldman present. At the time, women had just started to get locker room access. Bell started screaming at her as she approached his locker. Enter Barfield.

News just broke that CC Sabathia will now be entering an alcohol rehabilitation center and miss the entire postseason. This couldn’t come at a worse time with the Yankees about to compete for their playoff lives tomorrow night. If they win tomorrow against the Houston Astros, one has to wonder how the rotation will be set for up for the American League Division Series. The game still has to be played, so lets not get ahead of ourselves.

With that said, the main concern is getting CC back on his feet. I think I can speak on behalf of all Yankees fans in saying that we wish him all the best and hope to see him back on the mound as soon as possible.

If you were listening to the Yankees telecast, you must have heard Michael Kay and David Cone break the news that Masahiro Tanaka has just landed on the 15-day disabled list with what they’re calling a “tender wrist.” That sounds like it’s not connected to the UCL tear and we may not have to sound the alarms just yet. Coney said that this report begs a lot of questions and wonders if Tanaka is compensating because of his elbow.

At the same time, no injury to Masahiro’s arm should be taken lightly. According to reports, Brian Cashman has stated that there is “no change” in Tanaka’s elbow. He was also asked if this could be a Tommy John surgery “precursor”…to which he said, “could be.”

Tanaka will be shut down for 7-10 days. We may not see him for another month or so. Nobody knows for sure. Now, we play a waiting game and see how this unfolds.

Not everyone in Japan knows who Derek Jeter is.Some think he’s a catcher. Others have no idea who he is. That must be refreshing for him.

John Sterling unfortunately lost everything in an apartment fire. He lost all of his World Series rings in the blaze, except for 2009 (which he was wearing). Alex Rodriguez even offered him a place to stay.

Hannaah Davis landed the cover of Sports Illustrated’s 2015 Swimsuit Issue. I met her at the “Swim City” event in Manhattan and I got a chance to meet her. She was absolutely beautiful. I even asked her to take a selfie with me and she gladly did. She’s got my approval (not that she needs it).

Joe Torre wants everyone to keep quiet about A-Rod and let him play. Mr. T stated, “Obviously, what Alex did was wrong. He admits that. There’s nothing left for him to do but play baseball.”

I can’t count how many times I watched ‘The Sandlot’ as a child. Whatever number it was, it was an unhealthy one. With some time to burn in spring training, some players on the Yankees roster re-enacted the classic scene in the movie when Smalls realizes the ball he handed over to “The Beast” was autographed by the greatest ballplayer who ever lived, Babe Ruth (and not some wimpy deer). The video stars: Dellin Betances, Brian McCann, CC Sabathia, Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury. McCann deserves an Oscar nomination for playing Ham Porter.

Brian Cashman recently told Mike Lupica on ESPN Radio that “the captaincy should be retired with number two.”

No more captains for the Yankees? Please. I love Derek Jeter as much as the next guy, but enough is enough. Yes, that’s right…I said it. Derek Jeter is a mortal being…just like Lou Gehrig and Thurman Munson before him. There’s nothing that make Derek any more special or deserving than those two, so I don’t see why the New York Yankees shouldn’t have another captain.

After Lou Gehrig passed away from ALS (now known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), Yankees manager Joe McCarthy stated that the club would never have another Yankees captain. Years went by and the organization didn’t have a captain. In 1976 that changed, as George Steinbrenner appointed Thurman Munson to be captain. Just three years later (1979), Thurman died in a tragic plane crash, leaving the Yankees captainless. Nettles, Randolph, Guidry, and Mattingly followed him. What I’m trying to say here is…nobody is bigger than the interlocking NY on their chest.

George Steinbrenner once said:

“I have always been very, very careful about giving such a responsibility (Captain of the New York Yankees) to one of my players, but I can not think of a single player that I have ever had who is more deserving of this honor than Derek Jeter. He is a young man of great character and has shown great leadership qualities. He believes, as I do, what General (Douglas) MacArthur said, that ‘there is no substitute for victory.’ To him, and to me, it’s second only to breathing.”

I don’t believe they need to appoint a new captain right away, but when the right person comes along I don’t see anything wrong with giving that rank to a deserving player. I think you can safely bet that the Yankees will find somebody to be named captain in future years. And if you like to bet like me, you should check out: www.SportsBettingInfo.com. Life goes on, and so do the Yankees.

Alex Rodriguez is already dominating the sports headlines as he makes his return to the New York Yankees. After having surgery and missing all of 2014, Rodriguez is hoping for a triumphant return in 2015. As expected, fans have mixed feelings on his return. Many still view him as a cheater, and some fans of the New York Yankees feel like that could become a distraction.

The attention is already starting to build for the former MVP and fantasy baseball star. He was the talk of spring training early on, and he made national headlines just for getting a hit in his 1st at-bat. With Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera retired, Rodriguez has turned into the face of the franchise. Whether or not that is a good or bad thing is up for fans to decide.

Rodriguez is a big reason why New York has not been all that successful in recent memory. Since they are paying him so much money, it cripples even the richest team in the game. That is also the reason why they have not just decided to cut him loose. They want to see if they can get some value out of him, even if it is that designated hitter or 1st base.

So far this spring, Rodriguez does appear to be a little bit healthier and ready to attack the season head-on. He knows that he is about to be 40 years of age, so he can no longer play anywhere near MVP level. With that being said, he can still provide value for the New York Yankees in a positive way if he goes about it the right way. The media and fans are going to be hounding him for most of the year, but if Rodriguez just focuses on the game, he could shut them up by the middle of the year. Helping New York win and stay in the playoff race is also the best way to turn this negative into a positive. All in all, it seems like Rodriguez understands the situation and is trying to get all of these distractions out of the way before the season starts.